More than a half year after an Army helicopter and a jetliner collided over the Potomac River in the deadliest aviation accident in nearly a quarter century, the Armed Services committees are seeking to improve the safety of U.S. military flights near commercial airports.
The House Armed Services Committee’s fiscal 2026 defense authorization bill would forbid military helicopter training flights within a 30-mile radius of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, or DCA, unless the helicopters are “actively providing warning” during their flights of their position to nearby commercial aircraft “in a manner compatible with the traffic alert and collision avoidance system of such commercial aircraft.”
Still, the House bill would permit a military service secretary, in consultation with the secretary of Transportation, to waive that requirement if certain criteria are met — including if U.S. national security requires it.
